Apple HomePod Specs Revealed

Apple‘s Siri-powered HomePod speaker is expected to hit retail shelves in November but the firmware for the much-anticipated speaker is already out in the wild. Developers are able to dig through the firmware to get a better understanding of what the HomePod is capable of and, hopefully, ensure that their apps will be able to utilize the hardware at launch. With that firmware, we have been able to get a better idea of Apple’s HomePod specs.

Image source: Apple.com

A Tweet from Avery Magnotti reveals that the HomePod will come with a small screen on the top of the device as well as 1GB of RAM. The display will be 272×340. From what we know, it doesn’t sound like the display will do a lot of heavy lifting. The display will show some soft buttons and indicate when Siri is listening and thinking of an answer to your question or command. It would be interesting if developers can make use of Siri to display their own soft touch buttons when an application needs input. Although, knowing Apple, that may be unlikely.

The 1BG of RAM onboard is also interesting. This is more than Google Home and Amazon Echo. There should be plenty of power inside that allows the HomePod to grow into the vision the Apple and third-party developers have in mind for the device. The HomePod Specs offer some amount of future-proofing for customers as well. When you spend $350 on a smart speaker you should be able to trust that it will still be going strong several years after release.

We also know more than just these HomePod specs. The HomePod will have 1 woofer and 7 tweeters, making it one of most powerful smart speakers on the market. The sound from the HomePod should eclipse that of the Echo and Google Home. Again, for $350, we should expect the HomePod to sound better than its much more affordable competitors.

There are also six microphones inside the HomePod that will be listening to commands. More microphones doesn’t necessarily mean better. For example, Google Home is often regarded as a better listening device than the Echo despite having less microphones. With that said, six microphones combined with great software could make the HomePod the best listener on the market.

Of course, the biggest feature in the HomePod is the voice assistant you already know and love. Siri is going to be what makes HomePod great. The greatest test will be when people inevitably begin comparing Siri commands with commands that Google Home and Amazon Alexa can handle. Siri’s performance on the HomePod will be what makes or breaks the device.

These HomePod specs give us a better idea of what to expect once launch rolls around in December. It’s clear that Apple has included a little more horsepower than is probably necessary for a Siri-powered speaker. Hopefully that shows that Apple has big plans in store for the HomePod beyond playing your Apple Music playlists and answering your questions about what Siri and The Rock are up to. Hopefully more and more HomePod details leak as we get closer to launch. After all, December will be right in the middle of the holiday shopping season and consumers will want to know what they’re looking with as they begin to spend their money. What are your thoughts so far? Will you be holding out to see what the HomePod has in store or are you going to take the plunge now with Google Home or Amazon Alexa? Let us know!